Three hurt by reckless driver at Macomb Township car show

By
Mitch Hotts, The Macomb Daily

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

A motorist showing off as he left a car show in Macomb Township on Sunday night lost control of the car he was driving, struck two other vehicles and hit two pedestrians before fleeing, according to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office.

Witnesses provided driver’s license information to police and the driver, a 19-year-old Shelby Township man, will likely face several criminal charges, said sheriff’s Lt. John Michalke.

“We’re lucky we didn’t have more people injured,” Michalke said.

Deputies were dispatched to the ABC Warehouse parking lot on Hall Road near Hayes Road about 10 p.m. after callers reported people injured by a reckless driver.

Witnesses said the driver of a silver Ford Mustang was leaving the car show in the parking lot when he squealed his tires and the car began to fishtail. He lost control of the Mustang and it jumped over the curb, striking two other cars and two pedestrians. He then drove off.

Police said three people were injured including a 20-year-old Hazel Park woman and a 19-year-old Chesterfield Township man. Both were transported by Medstar Ambulance to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. Deputies later learned another man suffered a broken finger and sought treatment on his own.

A 17-year-old male from Armada who was at the show told The Macomb Daily that the scene was “chaotic and traumatic.” He said his 16-year-old friend was also hurt but did not seek medical treatment.

“We were on the curb watching the cars leave and I looked up and saw this Mustang coming at us sideways and I yelled at my friend to get out of the way,” said the teen, who asked not to be identified.

“The Mustang went right into a crowd of people and a bunch of them ended up on his hood. My friend was trapped underneath the car. I went around to the driver’s side door and tried to make him come out but he floored it and came right at me, but I didn’t get hit. There was a bunch of people yelling and screaming for him to stop but he kept going.”

Police said the driver was gone when deputies arrived, but he showed up at the sheriff’s office on Monday morning with his attorney to be interviewed by detectives. The investigation is continuing, but criminal charges are expected, Michalke said. He said the case is unusual because the car shows are generally sedate events with little trouble.

“This is a rarity,” Michalke said. “Usually people at those car shows are more respectful of all vehicles and wouldn’t do something like that.”

The weekly car show is organized by an area car club and has no connection to ABC Warehouse, according to workers at the electronics and appliance store.